Use highkey to express strong, open feelings or obvious truths, often as the opposite of lowkey.
Use highkey to express strong, open feelings or obvious truths, often as the opposite of lowkey.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| I lowkey want to tell everyone. | I highkey want to tell everyone. |
| She highkey loves him but won't admit it. | She lowkey loves him but won't admit it. |
| He is highkey hiding in the corner. | He is lowkey hiding in the corner. |
| We are highkey about the secret. | We are highkey excited about the secret. |
Use highkey (often hyphenated as high-key) to describe images with a cheerful, low-contrast aesthetic.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The photo was highkey dark and moody. | The photo was low-key dark and moody. |
| I highkey like this lighting setup. | I really like this high-key lighting setup. |
| Highkey lighting creates deep shadows. | Low-key lighting creates deep shadows. |
| Use highkey for dramatic horror scenes. | Use low-key for dramatic horror scenes. |
Use highkey in informal contexts to emphasize strong feelings or obvious truths, and reserve the hyphenated form for technical discussions about photography.
Using highkey to describe subtle or hidden feelings, which is the domain of its antonym lowkey.
Formed by combining the adjective 'high' with the word 'key', likely influenced by the photographic term 'high-key' and later popularized as slang in contrast to 'lowkey'.
What does highkey mean?
It means openly, obviously, or intensely, often used to emphasize a feeling.
Is highkey the opposite of lowkey?
Yes, while lowkey means subtle or secret, highkey means obvious or open.
How do you use highkey in a sentence?
You can say, "I highkey love this song," to mean you really and openly love it.
What is highkey in photography?
It refers to a bright style of lighting with very little contrast or shadow.
Is highkey a formal word?
No, the slang usage is informal and common in social media and casual speech.